Cards adapted for statistic or similar purposes and apparatus for sorting the cards.



CARDS ADAPTER ron -srAmnc 0R LGLIR Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET Il I IS I A@ @,JWMJ @dm 'MGR K. E. L. LIEDSRAND. v cARns ADAPTED FoR sTAlsTlc QR SIMILAR PURPOSES AND APPARATUS FOR soRnNG THE'CARDS.

' APPLICATIUN FILED AUGZS. 1916. 1,261,113 Patentd @112.1911 l 1 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

K. E. L. LIEDSVTRAND.

CARDS ADAPTEDTM smlsncoa SIMILAR PURPOSES AND APPARATUS vFor: somme THE cAnns.

'APPLICATIDN FlLED AUG-23. I 9l6.

5 SHEETS-SHEE'T 3.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

K. E. L.; LIEDSTHAND.

cARns AnAPTso For:y snmsnc on s'lmm PuaP-osss AND APPARATUS Fon somme THE cms.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

APPLICATION FILED AUG23. 1916.

..5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

. KARL 4:EMIL LEONARD LIEDSTRAND, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.. i

CARDS ADAPTED FOR STATISTIC OR SIMILAR PURPOSES AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING* THE CARDS. i

Application led August 23, 1916. Serial No. 11,566.

To all whom t may concern." Be it known that I, KARL EMIL LEONAR LinDs'ruANn, a subject of the King of Sureden, and resident of Vollmar-Yxkullsgatan 9, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented certain new and -useful Improvements in Cards Adapted for -Statistic or Similar Purposes and Apparatus for Sorting the Cards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein toI ual belongs according to certain grounds of classification. When thel statistic primary matter has been transformed into the shapel `of cards, the 'cards are sorted into groups in accordance with -the said notes or marks. The number of cards of each group are then counted or certain numeral statements on the cards of each group are summed. The

numbers or sums thus obtained form together a statistic table, forming the irst result of the treating o f the statistic matter.

In order to facilitate and shorten the timeconsuming work, necessary for making the said notes or marks, for the sorting operation and the counting of the cards, one has to a large extent passed from making-notes on the cards to providing the cards, on different parts of the same, with slots of such character, that the sorting and summing of the cards can be effected byan apparatus instead of manually.

This invention relates to cards provided with means and slots of a special system,

which render possible a rapid and simple sorting operation. Theinvention also relates toa 'sorting apparatus adapted to cards` arranged in accordance with this invention.

In order that the invention and .the applying of the same may be more easily coinprehended, a short statement of the said system of slots and the sorting operation effected by means of the same-in the apparatus is firstgiven.

On each card a section is reserved foreach ground of classification, for instance age, confession of fait-h, civil status and so on.

Each of the said sections of the card is pro- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

vided with a slot extending from a certain point and in a certain direction, theslots of the corresponding sections/of the cards having different length, so that a slot of a certain length provided in a certain section designates a certain group of the classification corresponding to the section. If, for instance, the section of the card is reserved for confessions of faith, a slot of a certain length provided in the said section of one card may correspond to the Lutheran confession, while the slot of a diiferent length provided in the same section of another card corresponds to the Catholic confession and so on. By means of the said slotsand a bar or the like, on which the cards are mounted with the slots straddling the said bar, the cards are held at different levels. Owing to the said arrangements all cards belonging to the same group of the classification in question are held'at the same level, which differs from the levels of the rest of the cards.

.The apparatus adapted for the sorting of the cards consists of a frame, into which a bar or the like may be mounted in different positions, corresponding to the different points from which the slots extend, the said frame and bar being so arranged that the cards, straddling the bar by means of the slots having the same position, descend to different levels determined by the lengths :of the slots. For rendering possible an easy removal of thecards by groups from the collection, the cards, according to this invention, are provided with arrangements partly for the withdrawing of the cards from the collection partly for the locking of all of the remaining groups.' The arrangement for the withdrawing of the cards may consist of holes provided in the cards and vso located, that a fork for instance may be threaded into the holes of the cards, which belong to the 'same group and consequently are on the same level, the highest level for each occasion. The arra ngenient for locking the cards, so that, as a group of cards is being withdrawn, no cards of the other groups will accompany the same, consists of notches, holes or the like, which can be engaged by ribs, needles or the like provided in the sorting apparatus.

example. Figs. 3 and et show in a sectional view and in a side view respectively a device provided in the sorting apparatus for causing the cards, mounted in the apparatus, to be brought into positions, in which their end edges are Hush with one another. Figs. 5 and G s how, viewed from two different sides, a device for locking the cards by -groups in the sorting apparatus. Fig. 7 shows the bar mentioned above and cards straddling the same. Fig. 8 shows on a reduced scale a card arranged in accordance with this invention. Fig. 9 shows the same card provided with slots adapted for the sorting system mentioned above. Figs. 10 and 11 show parts of cards with modified arrangements for the locking of the cards by groups. Fig. 12 shows a part of a card provided with slots for the sorting of the cards, said slots extending from a certain level into the cards. Fig. 13 shows a modiication of the cards. Fig. 1i shows a modified form of the device for adjusting the cards, mounted in the sorting apparatus.

rIhe card, shown in Fig. 8 as an example, is rectangular, which shape is the most suitable. The said card is providedV with two holes a, located near its top edge, at a suitable distance from the same, into which the fork, mentioned above, is threaded for the withdrawing of the cards from a collection. One' of the end edges of the card is provided with notches or recesses I), adapted to be engaged by ribs, provided in the sorting apparatus, for the locking of the cards, as stated more particularly below. In the shown card sections are indicated adapted to be cut out. The card is adapted for popular statistics and for that purpose the card has sections 1, Q .,for age, confession of faith, civil status and so on. The said sections extend from one of the longitudinal edges of the card or from its lower edge, as shown, and are parallel to the end edges of the card. If the card is adapted for any other statistic purpose, it is provided with sections adapted therefor.

As the cards are to be used, they are pro- Yvided, for instance in the statistic office,

with slots in the following manner. If, as already stated, the section designated with 3, is adapted for confession of faith, a slot c, Fig. 9, is made in a card, which shall represent for instance a Lutheran, which slot extends from the lower edge of the card upward longitudinally of the section to a level, for instance to the horizontal row designated with 4, which, consequently, corresponds to the Lutheran confession. In another card, representing a person of another confession of faith, for instance the Catholic confession, the slot provided in the vertical section 3 extends to a different horizontal row, which, consequently, A.corresponds to .the Catholic confession of faith.

If the vertical section designated with 4 is adapted for the civil status (unmarried, married, widower and so on), the slot l made in the said section of a card (repre senting an unmarried person) extends for instance up to the horizontal row designated with 0, which, consequently, is adapted for unmarried persons, while the slot made in another card (representing aA married pcr son) extends to another horizontal row, adapted for married persons. The slots are arranged in the same manner in the other' vertical sections, corresponding to other personal data respectively. The slots in the illustration shown in Fig. 9, end in a circular opening e. However, the openings c need not be located at the ends of the slots but may be a little above or at the side of' the slots, as will clearly appear when their purpose is described below. The notches b and the horizontal rows 0, 1, .of the cards correspond to or are located opposite to one another. The number of horizontal rows, provided on the shown card, is ten, which number is the lnost suitable for numeral data, made according to the decimal system (another number of rows may, however, be used). For the designating of a number consisting of three figures, three sections are then necessary. In the first section a slot corresponding to the centenary figure is made, in the second Section a slot corresponding to the decade figure is made and in the third section a slot corre sponding to the unit is provided. The manner in which cards arranged as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and provided with slots as shown in Fig. 9 and described above may be sorted in accordance with the different con- .fessions of faith, civil status and so on of the corresponding persons will be described below, after the apparatus adapted for effectin the sorting operation has been describe The sorting apparatus consists of a rectangular frame, Figs. 1 and 2. II`he longitudinal sides of the said frame consist of bars 1, in which vertical recesses 2 of uuiform depth are provided. The Vnumber of recesses 2 is the same as the number of vertical sections 1 2 of the cards and they are located at the same distance lfrom one another as the said sections. The recesses of the one barare located opposite to the recesses of the other bar. In the inner sides of the end pieces 3. at each corner of the frame, angle-pieces l of metal or the like are fixed, which are flush with the inner sides of the frame and extend upward along the end pieces 3 of the frame. The said pieces 4 and the end pieces 3 guide the cards, as they are mounted in the frame, as stated below. In order to render the frame. sufliciently stable, the said end pieces 3 besides are connected by means of two longitudinal rods 5, one only being shown in Fi-g. 1. The 4top part of one of the end pieces of the p top part 31, 41 is called adjusting block7 in the following description. The object of the said adjusting block is to bring the cards, mounted in the frame, into a position in which their ends are flush with Aone another. The sai-d adj ust-ing block is guided by the top edges ofthe bars 1, which are bent inward partially as shown in Fig. 4. For the moving of the block inward and outward the apparatus is provided with a shaft 7, which is journaled in the bars 1 and provided with two eccentrics 6 and may be rotated by means of a button 8, fiXed to one of its ends, Fig. 2. The said eccentrics- 6 are embraced by the adjust-ing block, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The sorting apparatus is provided with a device which locks by groupsthe cards mounted in the frame. The said device, shown in detail in Figs.- 5 and 6, consists of rods 9, sliding in one of the end pieces of the frame and located one above another. To the inner ends of the said rods 9 triangular ribs 10 are fixed, which eXtend longitudinally of the end piece of the frame. The number of rods with `ribs 10 is equal to the number of4 notches of the cardsand the distance between the Aribs 10 is equal to the distance between the said notches. In the hollow end piece of the framerspiral springs 11 are located, which surround the rods 9 respectively and the oneend of-which is fiXed to the rods, while the other end of the same is fixed to the end piece of the framevin such manner that the springs tend to pull the rods inward i. c.

to move the' ribs 10 toward the cards.

mounted in the frame. The said` ribs 10 are guided by pins 12, sliding in the end piece 3 of the frame. The rods 9 with the ribs 10 are held in the inactive position, shown in Fig. 5 by full lines, by catches 13, pivoted to the end piece and forced down by sp'rings 1-1 .into notches provided in the rods 9. For the disengaging of lthe catches 13 a swingable arm 15 is provided, from which engage the bars 1 and lock the bar 19.

.When cards, arranged as shown in Fig. 9, are to be sorted, for instance according to the confessions of faith of the persons, represented by the cards, consequently in acthe bloc-lt cordance with the yslots provided in the section 3 of the cards, the bar 19 is mounted into the third recess of the bars 1 from the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. A collection of cards is then mounted in the sort-` ing apparatus in such manner, that the cards cross the bar 19. The cards are somewhat shorter than the-distance between the end pieces 3 of the frame, so that the cards easily descend in the frame, the cards being, besides, so arranged that the slots e provided lin the vertical sections 3 are located right above the bar 19. 1f the cards are then released and, if necessary, are slightly shaken, theywill sink down into the frame, guided by the end pieces' of the same. The

cards will then straddle the bar 19 by their slots c. Consequently, the cards sink to different levels in the frame according to the length of the slots c, so that cards, representing persons of the. Lutheran confession, are all located at the same level in the' frame, while cards, representing persons of the Catholic confession are located at another level, which is the same for'all the latter cards. In Figs. 1 and 7 cards are shown, located at different levels. In order that the cards may easily sink down on the bar 19 wedge-shaped notches f are provided at the lower ends of the sections, as shown in Fig; 3. The width of the slots of the cards is somewhat greater than the width of the bar 19. When all the cards have been brought into their proper positions on the bar 19, the openings c, located at the ends of the slots embracing the bar 19, form a channel extending through the card collection, so that, by looking through the said channel, one can ascertain, if all cards are in their proper position. 1f any card or cards are not in the proper position l.. e. have not perfectly sunk down onto the bar 19 with vtheir slots, the said channel is closed, so that one can not look through the same.

For enabling the locking device to operate all cards located in the frame must be flush with one another. This is effected by moving the adjusting` block 31, 41 inward rotating vthe shaft 7 through one half of a revolution, the eccentrics being,r thus brought into a posit-ion, in which they lock When all the cards have thus been brought into the 'proper position, the arm 15 is raised, so that the catches 13 are disengaged from the rods 9 and the latter together with the ribs 10 are moved inward by the springs 11. The edgesy of the cards, which are provided with the notches Z), face the locking device, so that the ribs 10 engage the said notches and lock the cards. A fork, not shown, is then threaded into the holes a of the cards of the uppermost group, whichis then released by withdrawing the uppermost rod 9. All cards of the said group may th'en be pulled yupward by means Aof faith.

of the fork, consequently, in the present case, all cards representing persons of the Asame confession of faith, for instance the of faith, for instance the Catholic confession and so on. Consequently, all the cards are sorted in respect of different confessions In the same manner the cards are sorted in respect of the civil status, the bar 19 being then mounted in the fourth recess of the bars 1 andthe cards threaded-lon the bar 19 with the slots provided in the section 4. A

The invention may, evidently, be modified in many respects without exceeding the limits of the same. Thus, for instance, the slots may extend from points located at a distance from the lower edge of the cards, as shown in Fig. 12. VThe lower ends of all the slots made in the same vertical section of the cards must, however, be located at the same distance from the lower edge of the cards. In this case a stick for instance may be used instead of the bar 19, which stick is threaded into the slots and is then mounted into ythe corresponding recesses 2 o f the bars 1. After the cards have descended to their proper position and have been locked, the stick is removed and the cards withdrawn by groups in the same manner as stated above.

The vertical sections 1, 2 Fig. 8, in which slots are provided, must not be marked on the cards. By means of a special apparatus for cutting the slots, they '1nay, nevertiheless, be easily provided an their proper position. Instead of the notches I), Fig. 8, for the locking of the cards, holes g may be provided in the cards, as shown in Fig. 10. For the locking of the cards needles or sticks are then used .which are threaded into holes provided in the sorting 'frame and the holes of the cards and are withdrawn in their proper turns. The function of the holes g may be fulfilled by a wire h, Fig. 11, bent into loops vand fixed in the card. One or more wire loops may be fixed to the top part of the cards and substitute for the openings a, Fig. 8. A notch provided in the top part of each end edge of the cards may beused for the same purpose. Ihe cards may be provided with one or more rows of holes, loops or the like, which rows extend from the botj tom edge ofthecards to the top edge of the same and are parallel to .the sections, adapted for the slots, the lower holes, etc., being used for the locking of the cards, and

the upper holes being used for the with? drawing of the same, so thatl a plurality of groups may be withdrawn simultaneously. Fig. 13 shows a card, which is provided at its top edge with a flap z', in which a hole 7c i is made. Sucha flap with a hole may be provided also at the opposite edge of the card. The said flaps with holes may be used partly for the locking of the cards partly for the withdrawing of the cards from the collection.

Locking devices as well as adjusting blocks may, evidently, be provided at both ends of the frame. In Fig. 14, which shows parts of a sorting apparatus, adjusting blocks are provided at both ends of the frame of the apparatus. Ihe end pieces are denoted by 3, their top parts by 3a and the top parts of their corresponding angle pieces by 4a. Owing to the fact, that the cards, supported by the bar 19 or its equivaient, 'will slant toward its one end or the other, the guides of the adjusting blocks preferably have lan obliquev position, as shown in Fig. 14, so that the adjusting block, when moved inward for adjusting `the cards, swings the ends of the same solnewhat upward and forces the cards into a horizontal position. dThe adjusting operation is effected by means of the block which is located farthest from the bar 19,

1. Cards for statistic or similar purposes having one ormore sections on the cards provided with slots of different length, which slots lextend from one end of the sections respectively, one slot of a certain lel'lgth and provided in a certain section designating a eertaingroup of a classification corresponding to thesection, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In cards for statistic or similar pur poses means for locking the cards by groups in a sorting apparatus, so that the cards of a free group can be withdrawn, without the other cards accompanying the same, and one or more sections on the said ca'rds provided with slots of diHerent length, which slots extend from one end of the sections respectively, one slot of a certain length and provided in a certain section designating a eer-- certain group of a classification corresponding to the Section, and means for the connecting With the cards Jof an implement adapted for the withdrawing of the cards from the collection, substantially as described. V

4. In an apparatus for sorting cards for statistic or similar purposes, means for locking the cards by groups inthe sorting apparatus, so that the cards of a free group can be Withdrawn, without the other cards accompanying the same, and cards having one or more sections on the same provided with slots of different length, which slots extend from' one end ofthe sections respectively, one slot of a certain length and provided in a certain section designating a certain group of a classification corresponding to the section and means for the connecting with the cards of an implement adapted for the withdrawing of' the cards from 'the collection,

substantially as described.

' 5. Cards for statistic or similar purposes, having one or more sections on the said-cards provided with slots of different length, which slots extend from one endof the sections respectively, one slot of a certain length and provided in a certain section designating a certain group of a classifica tion corresponding to the section, and said cards having an opening for each slot, which openings have the same position with relation tothe inner ends of the slots, substaniiallly as described and for the purpose set ort 6. In an apparatus for sorting cards for.

statistic or similar purposes provided with one or more sections with slots of different length and extending from one end of the sections respectively, one slot of a certain length and provided in a certain section designating a certain group of a classification corresponding tothe section, the combination of a frame, in which the cards are mounted, and a bar adapted to be mounted in dierent places in the said frame, corre- Vsponding to the sections of the cards,- and to be stra'ddled by the cards with the said slots,

as described and for the lfur- Y substantially pose set forth. t

7. ln an apparatus for sorting cards for statistic or similar purposes'provid'ed with' one or more sections with slots of VdiEerent length and extending-from one end of the sections respectively, one slot ofa certain length and provided in a certain section designating a certain group of a'classication corresponding to the section, vthe combination of a frame, in which the cards are mounted, ,a bar adapted Vto be mounted in di'erent places in the said frame, corresponding to the sections of the cards, and' to be straddled by the cards with the said slots, a piece provided at one endVV or `both ends of the frame, guides for the said pieces and means for moving the pieces against the cards, located in the frame, for adjusting the same.

8. In an apparatus for sorting cardsfor statistic or similar'purposes provided'with notches in one of its end edges or both itsV end edges, the combination of ribs slidably.

mounted in the frame of the apparatus, and v means for brinthe ribs into engagement holding the ribs in inactive position, andL means for disengaging the said Acatches simultaneously, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In' witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

L EMIL LEGNAED LEDSTENDJ as described and for thepurpose for sortingcards for 'Y 

